BRILLIANT INSTITUTE - BIM

PREMIER COACHIHNG CENTER FOR IAS / IPS & OTHER COMPETITIVE EXAMS

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR VOCABULARY AND LEARN NEW WORDS.

1. Read, read, and read. The more you read -- especially novels and literary works, but also
magazines and newspapers -- the more words you'll be exposed to. As you read and uncover
new words, use a combination of attempting to derive meaning from the context of the
sentence as well as from looking up the definition in a dictionary.

2. Keep a dictionary and thesaurus handy. Use whatever versions you prefer -- in print,
software, or online. When you uncover a new word, look it up in the dictionary to get both
its pronunciation and its meaning(s). Next, go to the thesaurus and find similar words and
phrases -- and their opposites (synonyms and antonyms, respectively) -- and learn the
nuances among the words.

3. Use a journal. It's a good idea to keep a running list of the new words you discover so that
you can refer back to the list and slowly build them into your everyday vocabulary. Plus,
keeping a journal of all your new words can provide positive reinforcement for learning
even more words -- especially when you can see how many new words you've already
learned.

4. Learn a word a day. Using a word-a-day calendar or Website -- or developing your own
list of words to learn -- is a great technique many people use to learn new words. This
approach may be too rigid for some, so even if you do use this method, don't feel you must
learn a new word every day.

5. Go back to your roots. One of the most powerful tools for learning new words -- and for
deciphering the meaning of other new words -- is studying Latin and Greek roots. Latin and
Greek elements (prefixes, roots, and suffixes) are a significant part of the English language
and a great tool for learning new words.

6. Engage in conversations. Simply talking with other people can help you learn discover
new words. As with reading, once you hear a new word, remember to jot it down so that you
can study it later -- and then slowly add the new word to your vocabulary.

7. Finally, remember that you must practice putting your new words into your writing
and speaking or risk not retaining them in your brain.

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PREMIER COACHIHNG CENTER FOR IAS / IPS & OTHER COMPETITIVE EXAMS

LEARNING NEW WORDS WHEN READING

The first way to figure out the meaning of a word is from its context. The context is the
other words and sentences that are around the new word. When you figure out the meaning
of a word from context, you are making a guess about what the word means. To do this, you
use the hints and clues of the other words and sentences. You won't always be right, but
many times you will be. You might not be able to guess the exact meaning of a word, but
you may be close enough to get the meaning of the sentence it is in. A basic strategy for
unlocking the meaning of an unfamiliar word is to search the context of the sentence in
which a new word appears for clues. Sometimes this can be easy to do because the author
may have provided a definition or a synonym right there next to or near a term that you can
use to unlock its meaning. A definition is a statement giving the meaning of a word. A
synonym is a word that means almost the same as another.

For example, read the following sentence: "Don't think of words as separate, discrete items,
or entities." What is the meaning of the word entities? The definition is right there -
separate, discrete items. But what is the meaning of discrete? The meaning of that word is
right there too--separate.

When in doubt about the meaning of an unfamiliar word, look around in the sentence;
check to see if there is a definition or synonym clue to help you unlock meaning.

Another kind of context clue (in addition to definitions and synonyms embedded in
sentences) is a word or words of opposite meaning (antonym) set somewhere near a word
that is unfamiliar. If you find a word or words of opposite meaning and you recognize it or
them, you are "home free." You can unlock the meaning of the unfamiliar word.

For example, read the following sentence: "I was not exactly enamored of the travel plans
my agent made for me; my lack of enthusiasm was triggered by the eight-hour layover
required between flights." What is the meaning of the word enamored? You can use the
context of the sentence to reason in this way: Enamored of means just the opposite of
lacking in enthusiasm for.
Strategy

Step 1: Check for synonyms or definitions embedded right there. If you find a synonym or
definition, reread the sentence with the new term keeping that synonym or definition in
mind.

Step 2: Check for an antonym clue. If you find one, think about its meaning, actually telling
yourself the opposite meaning. Then reread the sentence and rephrase it in your own mind.
Context Clues: Substitution

At times, rereading a sentence that contains an unfamiliar term and substituting a word or
phrase for it that makes sense can help you to unlock the meaning of the unfamiliar word.

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PREMIER COACHIHNG CENTER FOR IAS / IPS & OTHER COMPETITIVE EXAMS

To understand the substitution strategy, read the following sentence:

"When we stayed at the military base, each Saturday we went to the commissary to buy the
food and supplies we would need for the next week."

Although you may never have visited a commissary, given the use of the word in this
sentence, you immediately can substitute the word store for the word commissary. You
probably can wrestle an even more complete meaning for commissary from the overall
context of the sentence: a store for food and supplies that is located on a military base.
Steps in the substitution strategy are as follows:

Step 1: When you read a sentence that you have trouble understanding because of an
unfamiliar word in it, reread the sentence and substitute a word that seems to make sense
in the context.

Step 2: Read on. If the word you substituted does not make sense in the context of the rest
of the paragraph, try again.

Step 3: If the sentence still does not make sense to you and you do not understand the main
point the author is making in the paragraph, look for synonym, definition, and antonym
clues. If you are still uncertain, check a dictionary.
Context Clues: Multiple Meanings

As you have learned, a basic strategy for unlocking the meaning of an unfamiliar word is to
search the context of the sentence in which a new word appears for clues. This is especially
important when a word has multiple meanings that you already know and you must decide
the particular one that applies. Try using the following strategy:

Step 1: Check the context for clues: definitions and synonyms given "right there" as well as
words of opposite meaning - antonyms.

Step 2: Substitute each meaning you know in the context of the sentence until you find one
that makes good sense there.

In Conclusion...
The Importance of Reading
There is probably no surer or sounder way to improve your reading permanently than by
building a strong, precise vocabulary, and the only way to build your vocabulary is by
reading a lot. In a precise vocabulary, every word is learned as a concept. You know its
ancestry, its principal definition as well as several secondary definitions, its synonyms and
the subtle differences among them, and its antonyms. Then, when you encounter it in your
reading, this vast store of knowledge flashes before you, illuminating the sentence, the
paragraph, and the idea the author is trying to convey.

Happy Reading!

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